Cotton harvesting machines commonly now include an on-board cotton compacting or packaging chamber in which harvested cotton is collected and compacted by compacting apparatus into a unitary mass or module. Such compacted cotton modules are desirably sufficiently compacted so as to retain their compacted shape when removed from the compacting chamber for ease of handling and other purposes. The compaction of the cotton to achieve this capability presents a problem in that it makes the cotton more difficult to unload or remove from the cotton compacting chamber. A factor that can increase this problem is that many of the cotton compacting chambers have side walls which include openings or performations to allow air used to convey the cotton into the compacting chamber to escape. During the compaction process, the cotton is forced against the walls and partially into the openings or performations, such that when movement of the unitary mass or module of compacted cotton is attempted in a direction closely parallel to the abutting surface of the side wall, significant resistance can be encountered. This problem is particularly increased under certain crop conditions and yields which result in the cotton being compacted very tightly. Typically, cotton conveyors such as chains or a moving floor are utilized for conveying the cotton from the chamber when unloading, and the friction and protrusion of cotton into any side wall openings and/or perforations can present or significantly inhibit unloading of the cotton from the chamber.
As a result, what is sought is a cotton compacting chamber side well configuration or construction which overcomes one or more of the problems set forth above.